“An unjust law is no law at all,” this is a famous maxim attributed to St. Augustine; one of the most influential philosophers in history. It was also repeated by a well-known civil rights movement leader and activist Martin Luther King Jr who even took it further to say people have a moral responsibility to non-violently disobey unjust laws as they go against human dignity and fairness.

As the 2026 Women’s Month draws to a close, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) celebrates the spirit of unity, collaboration and collective action among women across South Africa. In this spirit, the DFFE partnered with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to commemorate Women’s Month under the theme: “Imbokodo: 70 Years of Women’s Power from Resistance to Transformation.”

Climate change is often discussed in terms of rising temperatures, droughts, floods and extreme weather. Yet one of the world's most powerful climate regulators lies largely out of sight, quietly performing an indispensable service every day.

Earlier in the year, the African Union declared 2026 the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” In doing so, the continent elevated water and sanitation from basic service-delivery concerns to matters of strategic political priority.

One of the greatest challenges in scientific capacity development is not delivering programmes but measuring their long-term impact. Annual reports rightly celebrate the number of workshops delivered, early-career researchers trained, countries represented and certificates awarded. These metrics demonstrate that programmes reached their intended audiences and achieved their planned activities. However, they reveal little about whether those investments ultimately produce sustained scientific leadership.